Life-raft



(No Model.)

T. B. GRIFFITH.

Unirse rares 4Ariana* einen.

LIFE-RAFT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,946, dated December 28, 1880.

Application led October 1S, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. GRIFFITH, of Carver, in the county of Plymouth and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States, have made a new and useful Improvement in Life-Rafts, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specilication, in explaining its nature, in which- Figure l is a plan; Fig. 2, a cross-section on the line x x of Fig. l 5 Fig. 3, a cross-section on the line y y of Fig. l.

This invention has already been partially described by me in a caveat dated September 18, 1880.

An effective life raft should be buoyant, portable, llexible, not liable to damage, adaptable to any required purpose, not liable to tip over in a rough sea or in any emergency 5v should be cheap, and should carry persons so that each can be of assistance to the others upon the raft; and my invention embraces these features and certain details of construction which I will now describe.

The raft consists of a series of cross'bars or portions, ce', a2, a3, co4, a5, and a6, which preferably are made of cork battened or confined between two surfaces of light wood, or of cork or other buoyant material inclosed in canvas. These cross -bars or portions are united to each other by the longitudinal ropes, b, or other flexible connections, upon which are strung a series of cork loats, c, or to which is attached cork or other buoyant material inclosed in canvas. This arrangement of cross-bars and longitudinal flexible connections forms a series of spacesor compartments, d, between the bars and the connectingropes, and each space should be of sufficient size to receive a person. The intermediary spaces f may or may not be utilized as compartments for holding persons,

- as described.

(No model.)

The raft is further provided with life-lines 6o h, fastened to the cross-bars, the foot-ropes m, ii' desired, and life-belts n, which a-re made in the ordinary form of the belt life-preserver, and which are contained in the sections or compartments, being fastened either to one of the cross-bars or to one of the ropes, and being adapted to embrace the body ofthe occupant. These life-belts have ropes by which they can be tied about a person; and when the belt is secured to a cross-bar the bar oppo- 7o site the same may be provided with a cushion to cover its sharp edge.

A raft such as is shown in Fig. l is capable of supporting in the compartments d nine persons.

YVhile it is desirable that each cross-line of' compartments be separated by a transverse, section not adapted for use in receiving persons, yet I do not confine myseltto this construction, but may utilize all the sections for 8o receiving persons, it' desired, and the raft may be made with as many compartments as required.

I do not intend to confine myself to the use of ropes for connecting the cross-bars, but

may use any material that shall have sufficient ilexibility.

The raft can be rolled up and stowed in a small compass, and is ready for use at a moments notice, and, being made principally of 9o cork and light wood, it can receive from age or disuse no damage to its buoyancy. Its construction renders it capable of being made of a size to suit any purpose for which it may be required.

as are now used to ignite by contact with the water, may be attached to the raft, so that its position may be known at any time. The raft is suitable for either smooth or rough water. Its construction is simple and inexpensive.

Non-extinguishable lights, such Y IOO Having thus' fully described my invention, 2. The combination, in a life-raft, of the I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent buoyant cross-bars7 the longitudinal connectof the United Statesing-ropes b, and the cork floats strung or 1. In a life-raft, the combination of crossotherwise secured thereto with the life-belts r 5 5 bars of cork7 battened or otherwise confined n, secured to the cross-bars and Within the secbetween two surfaces of vwood or other matetions d, substantially as and for the purposes rial, longitudinal connecting-ropes b, and the described.

cork floats c, strung upon said ropes between THOS. B. GRIFFITH. the cross-bars, all arranged to form open com- Vitnesses:

1o partments or sections d, substantially as de- F. F. RAYMOND, 2d,

scribed. J. F. LEAMANN. 

